Cambridge ready to salute Hopalong Cassidy, the original Man in Black

Cambridge is getting ready for 13th edition of the Hoppy Festival Friday and Saturday, when the city will celebrate one of its favorite sons, William Hopalong Cassidy Boyd.

Beginning Friday, Cambridge will be inundated with Hoppy fans from here and afar cavorting with western stars and Hoppy look-a-likes, and hoping to get a chance to meet Hoppys wife, Grace Bradley Boyd.

This ambitious event is made possible by numerous volunteers, businesses and the perseverance of Laura Bates.

Hoppy headquarters is at a new Cambridge business, the National Road Heritage Market doing business as A Taste of Ohio, making its debut on Thursday. The store occupies the building of the former Kaplans Furniture. While co-owners Jonett Haberfield and Paulette Kachilla said their store will offer a variety of Ohio-made products, this weekend they will also sell a variety of Hoppy merchandise: T-shirts, cowboy hats, bandanas, badges and Hoppys Sarsaparilla, by the bottle or the case.

In addition to serious Hoppy memorabilia, downtown Cambridge will have a carnival atmosphere with food vendors, crafters and entertainment.

Kicking off the event on Saturday will be a parade led by the VFW Post 2901 Color Guard, followed by a tribute to our military personnel and a contingent of classic cars carrying special guests Ben Cooper of Wagon Train, James Drury of The Virginian, Jon Locke of Gunsmoke, Dale Robertson of Wells Fargo and Dallas, Robert Shore of Lawman, Cheryl Rogers, daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Katie West, and the events most honored guest, Grace Bradley Boyd.

Children are invited to decorate their bicycles in red, white and blue and join the parade. Any group, organization or individual who would like to participate in the parade is welcome. Walking or riding, bring your flags and yellow ribbons!

Judges David Ellwood, John Mark Nicholson and Robert S. Moorehead Jr. will judge parade entrants in several categories and award trophies for most patriotic, longest distance traveled, best of show, the Mayors Award for the oldest participant, the youngest rider in the parade, best group entry and the Grace Bradley Award.

An added attraction is a Hoppy Treasure Hunt in downtown Cambridge on Friday and Saturday.

The event concludes on Sunday with a vintage auction of over 200 lots of Hoppy collectibles at the Holiday Inn.